Feeling connected: technology and the support of clinical teachers in distant locations

This paper discusses a key finding arising from a qualitative research project which explored the provision of educational support to clinical teachers who were at least 100 kilometres distant from a university medical school.

We examined the preferences of clinical teachers in relation to the preferred use of technology as a medium for educational support.

A qualitative approach was used for which 19 participants were interviewed using structured interviews consisting of prepared open-ended questions.

All participants reported that they had a very positive association with the university. However, they overwhelmingly expressed a need to feel more strongly connected to the university and with each other.

Although a trial of the videoconferencing technology had problems, there was still great potential to connect clinical teachers in a Community of Practice.